A stable silagermene (tBu3Si)2Si=Ge(mes)2 (mes = 2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl): Synthesis,X‐ray crystal structure,and thermal isomerization

A stable silagermene, 1,1‐bis(tri‐tert‐butylsilyl)‐2,2‐bis(2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)silagermene, was synthesized by the reaction of dilithiosilane (^tBu₃Si)₂SiLi₂ with dichlorodimesitylgermane. Its structure was determined by spectroscopic data and X‐ray crystallography, which showed the SiGe length to be 2.2769(8) Å. The silagermene underwent isomerization at 100ˆC to form the corresponding symmetrically substituted isomer (E)‐1,2‐bis(tri‐tert‐butylsilyl)‐1,2‐bis(2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)silagermene. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 19:649–653, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20503